Leaf-holder for book or music racks



(No Model) J. H. FERGUSON. LEAF HOLDER FOR BOOKS 011 MUSIC RACKS.

No.- 416,588. Patented D6013, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. FERGUSON, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN.

LEAF-HOLDER FOR BOOK OR MUSIC RACKS.

SPECIFICATION. forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,588, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed December 15, 1888- Serial No. 293,695. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, JOHN H. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albion, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leaf-Holders for Book or Music Racks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in leaf holders for book or music racks; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the sliding book-clamp, in combination with the rack, all as more fully hereinafter de scribed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detached perspective view of the holder. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached per-- spective view of the guide by which the sliding clamp is adj ustably secured to the musicrack.

A is a sheet-metal guide adapted to be secured in anysuitable manner to the rack, and having its edges turned up to form parallel guides into which the legs B B of the sliding clamp slidingly engage. .The sliding clamp consists of two parallel or inclined legs B B, which, with the cross-bar Qform the stationary jaw of the clamp, and may be formed of one piece of wire.

' D is the lever forming the movable jaw of the clamp. It is pivotally secured upon the cross-bar O, and provided with a suitable spring-such as the coil-spring E-the tension of which forces the lever D to close upon the legs B B.

I preferably construct the lever D as described in Letters Patent granted to me on the 1st of February,"-1S87, No. 356,826; but I do not intend to limit myself to the exact construction shown therein.

The lever D is pivotally secured to the plate F, secured in any suitable manner to the upper end of the frame of the stationary jaw, and to the under side of this plate I secure the spring E, which engages with the rear end of the lever in such a manner as to hold it open when thrown back and to hold it closed when thrown forward.

In practice the guide A is secured to the rack, with the legs B B engaging the guidebearings formed thereon, so that the clamp may be freely adjusted up and down thereon to accommodate any height of book or music which may be placed thereon.

It will be seen that by my construction the sliding frame, projecting above the rack, forms an upper extension to the rack to support the m'usicsheets laid thereon to prevent them from falling backward over the edge of the rack. At the same time bylifting up the lever D and bringing it over the top of the book or leaves they are held down by the cross-bar at the front end of the lever.

To turn a page, the lever D may be either shoved upward or opened back until the leaf is turned, when it may be drawn or brought again into the proper position for holding the leaves in place.

To apply my device to any construction of 111 usic-rack, it may be often advisable to alter the construction of the guide A. Thus with a rack composed of an open frame only the guide may have to be made much Wider and the legs B made farther apart, or a separate guide for each leg may be used; but it is obvious that ordinary screw-eyes secured into the rack may serve the purpose of slidingly securing the legs to the rack nearly as well.

The legs B, instead of making them parallel to each other, I spread or contract them so they will have some friction to hold them in any adjusted position.

The plate F is formed with a slot at, a portion of the metal around said slot being turned up to form the ears I), and in these ears the lever D is pivoted on the pin a. The sides and one end of the plate are bent around the legs and cross-bar of the clamp. The free end of the spring E is formed with a concavity d, in which the heel of the lever D I works, as shown best in Fig. 2.

WVhat I claim as my invention is The combination, with the guide-bearing, of the sliding clamp formed with legs, and a cross-bar connecting the upper ends of said legs, the plate F, beut around and secured to In testimony whereof I affix my signature, said legs and cross-bar and formed with slot in preseu'ee of two witnesses this 10th day of :0 a and ears I the lever pivotally secured to December, 1888. said plate in said slot between said ears, and

5 the spring E, secured to said plate and formed with concavity d, engaging the rear Vitnesses: end of said lever, substantially as and for the J. XV. PEABODY, purpose specified. EUGENE P. ROBERTSON.

JOHN II. FERGUSON. 

